Larry Arthur Roberts

Larry Arthur Roberts was born in Charlotte, NC on September 25, 1949. He was the first born son of Kenneth Lawrence Roberts, a US Marine veteran of World War II, and Nancy Galloway Roberts. Larry was raised next door to Plaza Presbyterian Church where he received Sunday school perfect attendance medals year after year; and where he would later earn his Eagle Scout award as a member of the church sponsored Boy Scout Troop 70. Larry was a faithful Christian and hard worker, no doubt values imprinted by his Greatest Generation parents. He had a large paper route in the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte which allowed him to save for his first car, a 1956 Chevy. He was also a very dedicated and successful student earning membership in the National Honor Society in junior high and high school. It was a proud day when Larry received acceptance into the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and became the first in the family to attend, and graduate, from college. During college, Larry was a member of the ROTC and a co-op student working as an engineer with Southern Railway. He graduated in 1972 with a degree in Civil Engineering and established his first home in Atlanta, Georgia. Larry spent his 48 year career as a civil engineer, first with firms in Atlanta, and later in Tampa, Florida before opening his own civil engineering practice in Orlando, Florida in 1990. He finished the last 5 years of his career as a Community Development Engineer for the City of Port Orange, Florida. Precision was Larry’s superpower. He was motivated by details, in his work projects, and in life. He had integrity and was extremely loyal. He was precise, thoughtful, and had a brilliant mind. He loved classical music and enjoyed collecting, and growing, many species of day lilies around his home. He was dedicated to his work, his wife, and devoted to his parents and siblings. Upon his retirement in 2020, Larry received this message from a colleague: “…your dedication to doing the right thing, no matter how hard the task, was inspirational. There are people in this world who are honest, respectful, hardworking, and virtually unstoppable…you are at the top of that list.” Larry passed away on May 3, 2021 in Orlando, Florida after a brief battle with brain cancer. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Thelma Teliajean Tripp; two brothers, Daniel Mack Roberts of Calabash, NC, and Ralph Anthony Roberts of Charlotte, NC, and one sister, Martha Diane Cashion of San Diego, California; two nieces, and two nephews. His final resting place is in the City Memorial Park Columbarium in Salisbury, NC, a brief distance from his parents who are buried in the Salisbury National Cemetery.

Larry Arthur Roberts

September 25, 1949 - May 3, 2021